This month we are pleased to join Southport High School as it recognizes the accomplishments of two team members: Assistant Principal Amy Boone and counselor Brianna Underwood.
The Indiana Association of School Principals named Boone the 2017 Assistant Principal of the Year for District 7, which consists of all schools in Marion County.
Boone will join other principals and assistant principals selected from across the state at a special recognition celebration during the association’s annual assistant principals conference Nov. 17.
Boone was nominated for being a person of action. For the past two years she has taken on the task of organizing and administering all state-mandated testing – a challenging responsibility in a school with an enrollment of 2,000-plus students and 300 English learning students. She spearheaded the process without complaint and always with a smile.
Before the start of the 2015-16 school year, Southport faced a difficult task of replacing a long-standing and well-respected administrator. Boone stepped up to help fill in the gaps. She helped transition one of her colleagues into the role of assistant principal – showing him the ropes in areas not normally included in her job description. She assisted with building and grounds duties, school improvement plans, managing support staff, and communication with all school stakeholders. Her assistance helped Southport continue to function without interruption.
Southport is also celebrating counselor Brianna Underwood, who received Indiana School Counselor Association’s Exemplary High School Professional School Counselor Award.
Underwood has created an open-door policy in her department while juggling many roles, including social media and website manager, testing coordinator and 504 coordinator, which ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Two of her biggest projects include career cruising, in which counselors host college campus visits for students throughout the year, as well as the schoolwide career fair, which grew to 150 employers and 1,000 students last year. Underwood does all this while making every student feel special.
We applaud Boone, Underwood and all of our staff members who work hard to help our students succeed.